dodgebrothers

Curious whether this gang thinks Chrysler will make the 6 spd optional on Charger R/T and SRT if it sells well in Challenger? Seems to me, it would be relatively easy to do given the shared platform, engines, electronics and heck, interior even. Got to believe some Charger owners would love to see that or buyers that actually need the 4 door deal, but want the "muscle car" thing too.

lear4406

I believe the Charger is a little different platform. LX and the 2009 Challenger with the 6-speed is LY. Thats the reason I believe... that the 2008 Challengers do not have 6-speeds. But I'm not 100% on this and will wait on some back up before going all out and saying its truth. Seems we have discussed this before and that was the reason.

RoswellGrey

You're correct, Lear. Supposedly, only an automatic transmission fits in the regular LX platform.

Venthos

Even if the transmission could fit into the Charger I somehow doubt that Chrysler would offer it as a factory option. They never really have marketed the Charger as a 'muscle' car and pure performance oriented. It was marketed as a bad arse sedan and it is. They're marketing the Challenger as a muscle car with clear homage to the Challenger of the '70s and thus the 6-speed. They want anyone who wants pure performance to grab a Challenger, and those who want performance with family sedan convenience to get a Charger.

Entirely personal views with no proof to back any of it up I just don't think they'd offer a factory option 6-speed on a Charger. I doubt many would pick the 6-speed Charger over a 6-speed Challenger anyway. If the Challenger wasn't being built it'd be a different story.

mopar2ya

As much as your reasoning makes sense Venthos... I think it would also make sense for Dodge to make a few Chargers with the 6 speed just for the bad boys that need a muscle 4 door...

Jeremiah 29:11

Guys, I am going by what I read and we did discuss this previously here: https://dodgechallenger.com/forums/fb.asp?m=25544

From what I gather the current Challenger is an LC which is a 4" shorter version of the LX platform. The LY is not scheduled until 2010.

If anybody has a better answer I am all ears.

RoswellGrey

What you're saying sounds correct, Jeremiah. But if they can shorten the platform, probably they could adjust it to accommodate the manual transmission for the Challenger. It's probably a case of why bother with the Charger most of them are V-6s, and they're supposed to get the LY platform in 2010. Maybe that platform will be designed to accommodate either transmission.
I think the fact that the Charger four doors and all came out during the Daimler era is key to what the car is today. I seriously doubt the foreign honchos truly understood what the "Charger" name meant in America. From everything I ever read, Dr. Z and his crew were totally against 2-door cars of any type. Hence, that's why we in effect have a family sedan (which actually is a nice car to drive) that has a famous name. I'm truly amazed the Challenger was ever able to exist even as a concept car under them.

DSkippy

Since they were so against two door automobiles and they screwed the company up in every other way...they were (in typical German fashion) trying to be thorough.

Again, as discussed on other threads and to be THOROUGHly redundant in my own neurosis, I would have purchased the four door Charger when it came out if they offered a stick.

lear4406

Skippy I too would be driving a Charger had a 5 or 6 speed had been offererd.

Yankee

Personally I don't think it has anything to do with the platform, I just think that, overall, Dodge doesn't see a big enough market for a 6-speed in a Charger to warrant offering one. Sure us true gearheads (which I'm) would love one, but we make up a very small overall percentage of buyers. Besides, now that the Challenger is going to have one, I think that pretty much guarantees that the Charger (or 300, for that matter) WON'T have one.